Katsina State Governor, Malam Dikko Umaru Radda, has revealed that the state is targeting an African model for enterprise development in the policies and programmes of the Katsina State Enterprise Development Agency, KASEDA.
A statement by the Chief Press Secretary to the Governor, Ibrahim Kaula Mohammed, disclosed that Radda made this known on Saturday at the KASEDA 2026 High-Level Board Retreat held at Zuma Rock Resort, Niger State.
The governor, represented by the Deputy Governor Faruk Lawal, said KASEDA had reached a defining moment that would determine what the agency becomes over the next decade.
“At the end of this retreat my expectation is that, we would have laid the foundation for an institution that is not only respected within the confines of our state but recognized nationally and ultimately across Africa as a model for enterprise development, institutional excellence, innovation, and inclusive economic transformation,” he said.
The governor noted that the Micro, Small and Medium Enterprises remain the backbone of every resilient economy. He stressed that they create jobs, stimulate innovation, strengthen local value chains, reduce poverty, provide opportunities for women, young people, artisans, farmers, and emerging entrepreneurs.
He said Katsina had already earned national recognition after being named the Best Sub-National SME Development Agency in Nigeria, while one indigenous enterprise won the Most Outstanding SME at the 2025 National MSME Awards.
“Our ambition should not simply be to remain among the best in Nigeria. Rather, it should be to build an institution that other states deliberately study, learn from, and
